Swim, Don't Sink
by this is only a test
Summary: Darry never expected everything to be easy, but he didn't expect it to be this hard either. Post book.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

AN: This may look familiar. I posted it like a year ago under a different penname. I've gone by so many different ones I can't remember what it was specifically when it was posted, but perhaps some of you will remember the story. :)

If he had to be honest, he couldn't stand the kid sometimes.

He loved him―he couldn't deny that―but there were days when even the smallest of button pushing set him off. Lord knows Pony was talented at it, too. It wasn't his fault; he was just doing what all brothers did: annoy. But things were different now. When he pushed, getting even wasn't as simple as it was years ago. Back then, a little rough housing and blackmailing worked wonders. Now, payback came in the form of lectures and groundings. Darry hated it. He hated that the words "Because I said so" and "You're grounded" flew out of his mouth like second nature. That wasn't how he intended for things to be; definitely not what he'd expected either. Pony was a good kid. Never gave the folks any trouble. The trend should've continued, but nothing was ever that easy.

There were arguments left and right. _About everything_. And while Darry knew arguing was a two way street, he felt that his brother was responsible for it most of the time. He didn't walk into things intending to irritate him. Usually he was just trying to help, but it seemed like Pony was bound and determined to take everything the wrong way. That probably wasn't his fault either. It had to be hard to have your older brother go from just a brother to a parent overnight, but he could've at least tried to make it an easier transition.

"What's buggin' ya, man?" Soda asked, walking into the kitchen where Darry was seated at the table. "You look like you're tryin' t'have a staring contest with the wall or something."

"Nothin'."

"Y'sure?"

"Yep."

Soda sighed, but didn't press any further. "So, I dunno if I told you already, but you should probably know. My work check ain't gonna be 'til the first of next month."

"What?"

"Yeah, 'boss decided we oughta be on a montly payroll instead of every two weeks."

Darry pinched his brow and grit his teeth. He counted on Soda's second paycheck to pay off the water and electric bills.

"Steve ain't thrilled about it either," Soda said, pulling out a chair next to Darry. "He blew all of his last check on Evie's birthday gift and was countin' on this next one to pay off that hefty loan for his new car."

"You'd think they'd give a person fair warning when they pull shit like that..."

Soda shook his head. "Nup. Not my boss."

Darry rocked his head back a bit and sighed. This news wasn't what he needed to hear right now, but he had no control over what Soda's asshole boss decided. Hell, he was having enough trouble trying to get a raise out of his own. Cheapass Chuck didn't believe in raises, though, as most of the oldtimers were stuck at the same lousy wage he was. If he was wise, he'd find himself a new job, but new jobs seemed hard to come by and he really didn't have the time to look for one.

"So, what were you and Pony yelling about earlier?" Soda asked.

Darry turned and shook his head at Soda. That wasn't his brother's business, but of course Soda'd find a way to wiggle that in there, and find a way to make Darry tell him whatever it was he wanted to hear, too.

"It's late," Darry said firmly. "I don't wanna talk about it. Not tonight."

"Well, alright then, but you can't do this forever, you know." Soda paused and stared at Darry.

Darry could tell what he was thinking and hoped he wouldn't go on. "I'm no shrink," Soda started again, much to Darry's dismay. "But it ain't good for you or Pony. I mean, you both tell me you're fine when I ask about it, but then you're right back at each other's throats the next day."

"And what'd'you mean by that?" Darry rubbed his forehead and sighed. Truth be told, he knew exactly what his brother was getting at, but that didn't mean he wanted to hear it. "Glory, I do the best I can, Sodapop."

"I know you do," Soda assured him. "Just sayin' you should talk about it sometime. Let me help, man. Maybe I can make sense of what he says or does to you."

"Figure this one out for me, then," Darry said bitterly. "He's got a shot at a big scholarship—full ride scholarship—but he ain't gonna do it."

"What's it for?"

"He scored real well on a national math exam," Darry explained. "So his teacher wants him to try to for a full ride engineering scholarship. Says he's sure he could get it, and that he'll write him an excellent letter of recommendation. Man, I'd have killed for an opportunity like that. I got that sports scholarship, sure, but this is even better… He'd be stupid not to give it a shot."

"Did he say why he won't?"

"Yeah, doesn't wanna be an engineer," Darry said. "He thinks he's gonna make it with a writing career."

"I dunno, Darry." Soda shifted and gave him an uncomfortable look. "I get what you mean, but you can't make him be an engineer if he don't wanna be one."

"But it's a full ride, Soda!"

"Yeah, but—"

"'Sides, he could always write on the side. I mean, how many writers actually become big time authors anyways? He needs to be realistic about this…"

"Yeah, but he should be allowed to do what he wants, Darry," Soda persisted. "He's gonna do what he wants in the end anyways. You know that, right?"

"I _just _want him to keep his options open and give it a shot. That 's all."

Soda sighed and fell silent. He shrugged and moved to get himself something from the fridge.

"Cake at midnight, Soda?" Darry asked with a raised eyebrow, as he watched Soda cut himself an abnormally large piece. Usually he wouldn't make a big deal out of it, but sometimes he wondered if he should make the family eat a little healthier. Mom would roll over in her grave if she saw what they'd been eating the past few months.

Soda smirked and sat back down. "Why not? We eat it breakfast, don't we?"

Darry thought hard for a moment and conceded."Touché." It was a stupid battle to pick anyways, but he wanted to win at least one today.

"M' Sorry, Darry," Soda said through mouthfuls of food.

"What're you sorry for, little buddy?" Darry asked, certain that conversation was over.

"'Bout Pony."

"Yeah, well, I'mma hit the sack," Darry said, getting up. It was midnight, he was tired, and he didn't want to risk sticking around in case Soda decided to talk about their younger brother any longer. "Make sure you get some sleep yourself, huh?" he added before he left.

"Will do, Superman."

XXX

Darry found himself having a hard time concentrating on the nail at work the next day. He was sure he'd be going home with a sore thumb if the trend continued. His mind wasn't where it should be, and thinking about last night just made it worse.

"Careful, buddy," his coworker, Bill, warned. "Y'might hurt yourself if ya hold the nail like that."

"'Figures," Darry replied. "I dunno what's wrong with me today."

Bill shrugged. "Well, you ain't the only one out of whack," he told him. "Boy howdy, I'm glad Chuck's outta town. He'd have a shit about me breakin' one'a his hammers."

"He sure would've." Darry chuckled, recalling how Bill had managed to break the wooden handle in half. "I'd say you're lucky as hell."

"Lucky there, sure, but I wish that luck would continue when I get home," Bill said. "It's a goddamned circus at my house. Did I tell ya what little Sarah did last night?"

Darry shook his head and stifled a laugh. "Nope." It was amusing to him that Bill was so willing to indulge him in every last detail of his personal life.

"Well, the little shit stole my cigs and smoked 'em with her friends," Bill said bitterly. "I just about killed her, and now wife's on my ass for overreacting. Says I was too hard on the girl."

"Sounds like it was quite a night at your place."

Bill nodded and continued to hammer down the nail. "She spoils the shit outta her," he went on. "Calls her her "little princess". She can do no wrong by Debbie. She's gonna grow up to be a brat if we ain't careful."

"I'm sure she'll end up fine with you as her old man." Darry smiled and attempted to finish another shingle. It made him feel old when Bill talked about his wife and kids to him, especially when he could relate to something. Bill was always butting heads with his youngest daughter, and he was always butting heads with Pony. Of course Bill sure talked about his struggle a hell of a lot more, but it was nice that he could relate to someone.

"My brother's givin' me one hell of a time, too, lately."

"Oh yeah? What's he doin'?"

Darry paused for a moment, pretending to be ultra-focused on the task in front of him. He wasn't sure if he wanted to bitch about his brother to Bill. Something about it didn't seem right. Still, it probably would be nice to get sympathy from someone, seeing as Soda was on Pony's side. It was a shame he still looked at things that way; after a couple years of guardianship, he'd hoped to have gained the ability to look at things more objectively, but despite his best efforts, sibling rivalry still got in the way.

"Well," Darry began. "He's got a shot at a hefty scholarship, but he ain't gonna take it, 'cause he don't want to be an engineer.

"Engineers make an assload of money, don't they?!"

"Yep."

"Then why the hell don't he want that? Tell him to do it for the money." Bill elbowed him and winked. "He could pay for you to retire early."

Darry laughed and nodded. While he'd never expect his brother to do that for him, it'd sure be nice. It seemed like he aged twice as fast working here than he would elsewhere.

"Well," Bill said definitively. "I say you smack the sense into the kid and make 'im do it. He'll thank you later when he's living the high life."

"Believe me," Darry assured him. "I've been itchin' to do that all week."

He had to laugh. _Smack the sense into the kid_ was Bill's solution to everything. After what had happened the last time, he had no intentions of ever taking Bill's advice, but he did have to admit it was nice to talk to someone who kind of understood what he was going through.

XXX

Darry couldn't have been happier to get off work early. He'd only hit his thumb twice before the end of the day. At least he got to work alongside Bill, though. Sometimes the man annoyed him with his chatter, but he was a lot better than the other coworkers. He treated him like an equal at least, and not the inexperienced new guy the old timers still considered him to be.

He groaned as he turned the door knob, forgetting to use the hand without the sore thumb. When he walked through the door finally, he nearly had a heart attack when he was greeted by a brown ball of fur.

"Who's dog?" he asked, pointing to it.

"Mine," Soda replied with a smile. "I found him out by the DX today, and he followed me home. He's a cute little fella, ain't he?"

"Well, don't get too attached. You're not keepin' it." Darry pressed his palm against his forehead and ran his fingers through his hair. "And don't give me that look, little buddy..." Soda was staring up at him with that infamous "let me off the hook" look he used to give their mother on a daily basis. It was only after Soda became his responsibility that he understood why she hated it so much…

"Aw, c'mon, Darry, it could be fun to have a dog again!"

"And expensive."

"I'll pay for him!" Soda offered.

"No." Darry couldn't believe he was having this argument.

"Pony would want a dog, too..."

"No. No dog."

"But his face, Dar... Look at his face." Soda turned the dog's head to face Darry. "How can ya say no to that?"

"No," Darry repeated firmly. "Look, the answer ain't gonna change. Not now, not ever."

"Well, I tried, George," Soda said to the dog. "But Mr. Grumpy here doesn't want ya..."

"Sodapop," Darry warned.

"What? Just figured I oughta break the news to him sooner or later."

Darry shook his head and groaned. He really didn't like the idea of a new house guest, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized just how much Soda would guilt him about saying no. It'd probably last an entire week, if not a month, the way his brother was. He remembered how heartbroken Soda had been over their last dog's death. Not to mention the ordeal with his horse, Mickey Mouse. For some reason Darry didn't understand, his little brother sure did have a soft spot for animals.

"Look," Darry began reluctantly. "If you take care of him all week without any trouble, you can keep him."

"See, George? I knew he'd turn around eventually!"

"But ... And listen carefully, 'cause _I mean it_, Sodapop. If he has one accident in the house, tears up anything, or otherwise causes problems, he's out."

"He won't," Soda said confidently.

"He better not."

"George'll be the best damn dog we've ever had, won't you George?"

George barked as if on cue, and Darry rubbed his temples, already regretting his choice to give in. Lord knows, a dog was truly the last thing he needed right now.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own.

AN: Thanks for the reviews! You're all lovely!

"Shit!"

Darry banged his fist down on the nightstand, noticing he'd hit snooze one too much times. Now he had measly fifteen minutes to get himself to work, no thanks to Soda's dog. Groaning, he pulled himself out of bed, threw on his work clothes and left the house on an empty stomach. It was stupid to skip breakfast. Every time he did, he was always half dead by the time lunch break rolled around, but he didn't have the time to eat. Not when he was already running late.

On his way to the construction site, he began plotting ways to kill the yapping furball. That little bastard had found his way into the room around three AM last night, only to bark up a storm over the way the wind was howling. Darry figured it would've been common sense for the little fella to crawl in bed with Soda and Pony, but no, he had to pick the person who liked him the least.

Right now, punting him like a football was high on the list. It probably wasn't the most humane way to go, but Darry fathomed he didn't care. He'd been late for work at least four times this month, and it was only a matter of time before Chuck head his head for it.

But with the way his luck was moving, Chuck wasn't the only person who'd have his head. Right now police sirens were currently blaring behind him. He panicked, looked down to the speedometer, cursed every word in the book, and pulled the car over to await his fate. Ten over in the forty zone was sure to be one hell of a fine.

"Mornin', officer," he greeted, in the nicest fake tone possible.

The office gave a slight eyebrow raise. "Do you have any idea how fast you were going back there, sir?"

Darry swallowed and nodded. "Yeah, I'm real sorry, sir. I didn't mean to speed—I was just in a big hurry to get to work, ya kn—"

"Yeah, yeah." He waved his hand, dismissing the excuse like he'd heard it a million times. "License and registration, please."

Darry groaned inwardly and fumbled around the glove compartment for the requested items. After a few minutes of rummaging and cursing under his breath, he found them. He handed them to the officer, who yanked them out of his fingers. The officer than went back to the police car, and Darry could only assume that meant one thing: he was getting ticketed.

He bit his lip hard enough to draw blood and fought the urge to shatter the dashboard. First, the dog woke him up, then he overslept, and now he was getting a speeding ticket. Could the morning get any better? It probably would, seeing as he was going to be a good half hour late now. Hopefully Chuck was out of town again. Or, at the very least, in a good mood.

One thing was for sure: regardless of what went done at work, that dog was history when he got home.

Xxx

The rest of the day ran a bit smoother, but not by much. He was lucky the man he left in charge pretended not to notice the late arrival, and Bill even sympathized enough to invite him out of a drink tonight. But the good luck and Bill's generosity still didn't make up for everything else. Now, on top of bills Soda usually payed, he'd have to conjure up a way to pay off the speeding ticket. Sure, it wasn't a large fee. Not as huge as he expected at least, but it was still more money than he had to pay.

Darry grumbled as he pulled into his driveway. He was still hellbent on getting rid of the dog and was trying to think of the best way to break it to Sodapop. For a good six minutes, he sat in the car thinking before coming to the conclusion there wasn't a best way; there wasn't even a good way. Sodapop could be damn stubborn when he wanted to be and would find a way to keep his dog no matter how hard Darry put his foot down. It was inevitable.

With a heavy sigh, Darry slammed the truck door shut and made his way into the house. He really didn't want to be home right now. The dog's presence was bound to drive him batshit, and he still needed to solve the issue with Pony. On top of everything else, it'd been eating away at him, and he knew he had to do something before he exploded.

He paused at the door for a moment, before turning the knob. When he finally did, George was the first to greet him. He looked down at the creature and scowled. "Soda, your dog's as crazy as you are."

"Aw, Darry. He ain't that bad. C'mere, George."

The dog growled, then ran over to Soda hopped up on his lap.

"Says you," Darry said, taking off his work boots.

"Maybe if ya were just a wee bit nicer to him, he'd like you."

"And why'd you name him George?" Darry asked. "Couldn't you have picked a normal dog name? Like Rover or Spot?"

"Nope," Soda said with a smirk. "He's a George."

George growled again, and Darry growled back. He still had half a mind to kick the ball of fur out of the house. George had clearly broken the deal at three AM this morning, and as a result, earned him a speeding ticket and made him late. He figured it was more than fair, but Soda would hear none of it.

"Well, I, for one, like George," Pony spoke up.

"See?" Soda nudged Darry. "Told ya Pony'd like the dog."

"You're both nuts," he said, then turned to Pony. "Hey, I wanna talk to you about something."

"Yeah?" Pony asked.

"Yeah," Darry confirmed. He figured he might as well try to do something about that, since the other things appeared to be out of his control. After the ticket and the dog, he _needed_ to win one battle. Maybe the slight luck would continue and Pony'd cooperate.

He motioned to Pony to follow into the kitchen and instructed him to sit down once they got there. Hoping he wasn't initiating another yelling match, he took a deep breath and sat in the opposite seat.

"So, you wanna talk? Pony asked.

Darry nodded. "Well, I know we had a big fight about it earlier," he began, "but I think you should give this scholarship a second th—"

"Not this again," Pony cut in, rolling his eyes.

Darry gave him a pointed look and continued talking. "Just try for it. I'm not sayin' you have to take it if you win it, but this might be something you regret later on if you blow it off."

"But I know what I wanna go for already, and that ain't it."

"Y'never know…" Darry said. "Might just change your mind and wish the opportunity was yours later."

"No." Pony shook his head firmly. "I really don't wanna do anything related to engineering…"

"Still, that's a lot'a money." Darry sighed and looked directly at his brother. "And you can always do writing on the side, ya know?"

Darry groaned inwardly, realizing the conversation was going nowhere. They argued several more minutes. Darry tried to explain exactly why he thought this was the perfect opportunity, but Pony wouldn't hear any of it.

"Glory, Ponyboy, I'd have killed to get the same boat as you." His tone was bitter and harsh. "And you're just kinda throw it away like that?"

"Well, I ain't you, am I?"

"You're a helluva lot luckier than I was. That's for sure."

Pony's eyes shifted, turning away from his brother. Darry grabbed his shoulder and forced him to make eye contact again. "Just listen t—"

"No, I'm sick of hearin' this!" Pony shot back. "I'd never be happy with a job like that, Darry. I'd hate every goddamned minute of it. Does that mean anything to you?"

"Well, do you think I like my job?" Darry asked. "Newsflash for ya, jobs ain't always fun, but at least that'd earn ya more than roofing."

Pony scoffed and started to get up from his seat.

"Ponyboy..." Darry warned, but Pony ignored the warning and left. Darry shot up after him, but Pony'd already slammed and locked the door to his room. Darry banged his fists against it a few times before giving up and retiring to the couch where he'd been sitting earlier.

"I told ya you gotta let him do what he wants."

"Not now, Soda."

"Sorry," he said. "I just hate seeing ya fight about it, and he ain't gonna budge on it. You know that."

Darry grumbled and ignored Soda. He did know that; he just didn't want that to be the conclusion. Pony was passing up something huge, and it bugged the shit out of it, but unfortunately Soda was right. They could fight and fight and fight about the issue, but it'd never change Pony's mind. He was, however, thinking about grounding him for storming off like that. There was no need to be that disrespectful about it, but he realized grounding Pony wouldn't accomplish anything. It'd just make him more upset.

This was just another thing he had no control over. Just like the dog, the ticket, and being late, there was nothing he could do.

Darry flinched and glared at George, who'd just jumped onto his lap. He was startled by it, but too defeated from the stress of the day to shove the dog away.

"Lookit, Darry." Soda pointed to George. "He likes you!"

Darry rolled his eyes, completely unconvinced of the absurd notion. The dog didn't like him; rather he was being smart. He knew who he needed to kiss up to avoid certain death.

XXX

Darry had to admit he felt awkward sitting in a bar with a man ten years old than he was. He hadn't thought about that part when he accepted the offer, but nevertheless, it was nice to be out of the house. Without the small break tonight, he was certain he would've gone insane.

"So how's that Pony thing goin'?" Bill asked.

Darry took a drink of his beer and thought about how to reply. He hadn't been expecting Bill to bring that up again, but in some ways, it was nice. Shows he actually cared about the situation. "Terrible," Darry said finally. "Tried to talk to him about it after work tonight, and he stormed off on me."

Bill raised an eyebrow. "Wow, sounds like his attitude's a mile wide lately, huh?"

"Tell me about it."

"Sorry, man, I know how that goes," Bill told him. "Polly and Sarah both get like that sometimes. Debbie says it nothing, but I'd say that's where they get it from."

Darry nodded. "Yeah, sure sounds like it," he sympathized. He'd heard an enough lot about Betty lately. From what he gathered, she and Bill didn't get along too well. It made sense, seeing as Debbie got pregnant with Polly when she and Bill were barely seventeen. They'd had a shotgun wedding, popped out another kid two years later, and had been miserable ever since.

Bill's story was certainly different than his own, but one thing was the same: they'd both been slammed with responsibility young and had a hell of a time dealing with it.

"Hey, thanks for getting me out of the house tonight," Darry said, feeling like he should offer some form of a thank you. After all, he needed the stress relief. Not to mention this was the first time he'd been out with anyone outside of the gang. He and his high school buddies had long grown apart, and he missed having people to do things with.

"Don't mention it." Bill gave a slight chuckle. "Debbie was having one of them damn tupperware parties. Ain't no way in hell I was gonna stick around for that."

Darry smirked and nodded. He figured if his wife ever threw one of those lady type parties, he'd high-tail it out of the house, too.

"Say, if I didn't know better, I'd say that Lisa's interested..."

Darry gave Bill a confused look. "In you?" He knew the man wasn't always happy with Debbie, but he didn't think he was the type to cheat.

"What're you stupid?" Bill nearly snorted on his beer and slapped Darry's shoulder. "She's been eyin' ya all night!"

Darry's face grew red and he nodded. "Yeah, I reckon she is, " he said, trying to hide his embarrassment.

For the rest of the evening, he felt even more awkward. Damn Bill. Ever since he had to point it out, Darry was noticing the obvious flirting. Sure, he'd noticed she was cute earlier, but she couldn't have possibly been interesting in _him. _Still, the clues were telling him otherwise, as she kept winking at him. The smiles and giggles were dead given aways, too.

When he finally said his goodbyes to Bill and headed home, he found himself shaking his head as how dumb he was about girls. He'd never been blessed with the ability to talk to women and was dead certain he'd made a complete ass of himself with Lisa. But he was probably thinking about it too hard. After all, it couldn't have been too bad if she'd given him her phone number.

He looked down at the scrap of paper. There it was: her name _and _number. She'd even included a small heart next to the writing. He shook his head and wondered if he'd ever have the balls to call it.

Probably not, but he had to admit there was something about getting a girl's phone that made even the shittiest of days seem better.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own.

AN: Thanks all for the reviews! I appreciate it so, so much. I have a couple chapters ready to go on both this and Sweet Caroline, so updates should be fairly regular. Thanks again!

When Darry got home from the bar, Soda was feeding George table scraps. He watched, secretly hoping whatever it was was toxic to dogs.

"Isn't he supposed to eat … dog food?" Pony looked at Soda with a puzzled look on his face.

"Nah," he said. "This dog eats anything. Stomach of iron. Watched him eat his own shit today, I did."

"That's disgusting."

"Could be cost effective," Darry broke in, chuckling about it. "Keep encouragin' him to do that, Soda."

He stared down at the dog, wondering if he ever chewed anything. It looked like he took one bite and swallowed. It was no wonder he was able to eat his own shit, Darry figured. Probably wasn't even in his mouth long enough for him to taste it.

"Anyway, you two are gonna have to take care of him for a bit tonight," Soda announced with a big smile on his face. "Me and Steve are gonna have some fun."

"No, you're not," Darry said quickly. "Not tonight. It's nearly ten o'clock."

Soda stared at Darry wide-eyed.

"I mean it, Soda," Darry added.

"You're just saying' that 'cause you don't like George, huh?" Soda laughed. "Ha ha... Don't worry, Darry. He'll warm up to ya."

"No," Darry repeated. "I'm sayin' it 'cause it's past eleven and you've gotta work tomorrow."

"This is a joke, right?" Soda asked.

"Nope," Darry said firmly.

"C'mon, Dar, I'll be fine tomorrow. I've done it before..."

"I don't care, Sodapop."

"Not so fun when it's you, huh?" Pony teased.

"Shuddup, Pony."

Darry just smiled and shook his head. Usually he didn't have to put his foot down with Soda, but whenever he did, the results were hilarious. Soda certainly wasn't as used to it as Pony. One would've thought it was the first time he'd heard the word "no."

Pony was nearly doubled over, he as laughing so hard about it.

"It's not funny," Soda snapped. "Make him shut up, Darry."

"Quit acting like you've never heard the word no," Darry said. "This ain't a big deal, little buddy."

"Says you..." he argued back. "Steve ain't gonna like it. He was countin' on me being there tonight."

"I really don't care if Steve's upset." Darry rubbed his forehead and grumbled. "And if you keep arguin' about it, I'll ground you. How's that sound?"

"No way, I'm too old for that..."

"Maybe," Darry agreed. "But like Mom always did say "My house, my rules", so I don't see what's so wrong about it."

"But—"

"But nothin'. I don't wanna hear another word about it, get me?"

Soda nodded, and Darry sighed, thanking his lucky stars that shut Soda up about it. For a second, he thought he might actually have to ground him over it. It'd only be the second time since Pony and Soda were in his care. The first time, he figured Soda must've known arguing about it was futile, as he'd gotten himself arrested.

Soda heaved a heavy sigh, and as soon as he'd retreated to his room, Darry and Pony shared another laugh about the ordeal.

"Well, kid," Darry said, putting his arm around Pony's shoulder. "I gotta hand it to you, you sure are less of a baby about gettin' told no."

"I heard that!" Soda called.

"Yeah, he's bein' a baby about it, alright," Pony agreed.

Darry shook his head and released his grip on Pony. He smiled a bit at him, glad he didn't seem to be harboring anything against him from the fight earlier. The thought of him turning away a scholarship like he was still made Darry's blood boil, but he wasn't about to say anything more about it tonight. Not when they were getting along again.

XXX

Darry woke up the next morning with a raging headache. His first thought was maybe he drank too much last night, but four beers had never done anything like this to him before. He could feel his heartbeat in his temples.

George placed his wet nose against Darry's cheek, and Darry shoved him a way.

"Soda!" he yelled. "Get your damn dog outta here!"

George growled at him and exited the room on his own.

"Stupid dog," Darry muttered under his breath, as he slowly pulled himself up. He could barely sit up without feeling nauseous.

Ignoring the feeling, he sat up anyways and eventually forced himself to stand. He couldn't afford to be sick, so he told himself he wasn't and proceeded to go about getting himself ready for work. Ignoring it, however, wasn't working out very well for him. He managed to shove two pieces of toast down his throat, but not without him hurling them up in the garbage ten minutes later.

"You okay?" Pony asked, coming into the kitchen.

"I dunno," Darry said. "I think I've got the flu or something."

"You don't look so hot..." Pony walked over to him. "Maybe you should see a doctor."

Darry shook his head. No. No doctor. He couldn't afford that. Maybe he'd stay home today, but a doctor was out of the question. He grumbled, taking a seat at the kitchen table. Getting sick definitely wasn't what he needed right now.

After much convincing from both Soda and Pony, he called in sick and planted himself on the couch for the day. Pony and Soda left for school and work respectively, leaving him home alone. Even George had followed Soda out of the house. Darry couldn't have been happier; at least he didn't have to spend the day with that little shit.

Sighing, he set his head on the couch's throw pillow and tried to rest.

He woke up around noon, feeling no different from when he'd lay down. Much to his dismay, George had found his way back to the house. He had howled until Darry let him back in, and was currently barking at the birds outside.

"Soda may like you, but let me make this clear," he told him. "I don't. I think you're an expensive, dirty piece of shit."

The dog cocked his head to the side and continued to bark louder.

"Now shut the hell up, will ya?"

Darry chucked a throw pillow at him, but it accomplished nothing more than the dog thinking it was a game. He attacked it, chewed off the corner, and brought it back to Darry to throw again.

"Don't you get it?" Darry asked, shaking his head. "I. Don't. Like. You."

George nudged the pillow forward and barked.

"Fuck off."

xxx

Darry groaned at the stack of bills in front of him later that evening. He was still very sick, but they had to get done, and he sure as shit didn't trust Soda with them. Carefully, he added up the totals and double-checked to make sure he was going to have enough to cover it in his bank account. He was coming up short by about fifteen dollars every time he counted.

"Darry, I don't mean to bug you," Pony said, handing Darry a slip from his pocket. "But I need you to sign this.

Darry watched the kid fidget, as he took the slip. "What's this?" he asked.

"Note from my teacher," Pony mumbled, avoiding eye contact.

Darry raised an eyebrow and proceeded to read the note. It was from Pony's English teacher and said he'd been absent twice in the past week.

"Care to explain this?" Darry asked, trying his best to keep his voice calm. "There something I don't know about?"

"I dunno why you mea―"

"You know damn well what I meant, Pony." Darry raised his voice a little. "Were you sick two days or what? Why weren't you in class?"

Pony shrugged and looked at his feet. "I dunno, Darry. I'm sure you skipped sometimes."

Darry glared at Pony. His brother hadn't lied, which pissed him off even more. He had skipped. Not that he was proud to admit it, and his parents sure kicked his ass for it when they'd found out about it.

"Look," he began, "I know I'm far from innocent, but that don't make it right."

Pony shrugged, and Darry shot him another glare. He hated how nonchalant he was asking about it. He'd said it earlier in the day about getting sick, but this really was the last thing he'd needed.

"You're grounded," he told him, signing the slip finally. "Two weeks."

Pony took the slip back, nodded, and went to his room. At least he didn't argue about it. Still, just when he thought the worst was over with Pony, it wasn't. He had a hunch him skipping had something to do with the new friends he'd been hanging around with after Johnny's death. Darry really didn't care for them at all.

He rubbed his temples and turned back to the bills. Staring at the bills certainly wasn't helping the urge to puke, but he swallowed hard and began to calculate them once more. He had to figure out a way to make this worth. After all, something had to end on a high note tonight.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: S.E. Hinton owns.

AN: Thank you all SO much for the reviews. Both on this and everything else. Updates will be a bit slower after this chapter. I reread through what I have saved in docs and decided to alter the plot from this chapter on. I will do my best to update by the end of the week, though! In the meantime, I posted a TON of other stuff, so if you're so inclined, feel free to check it out... I only have 13 stories up right now, so hopefully it'll suffice until I finish altering this story. :P Thanks so much again for your reviews and support. You have no idea how much it means to me. :)

* * *

Darry woke up the next morning feeling just as sick as yesterday. He groaned, knowing missing another day would cost him more money, but there was nothing he could do about it. He could barely stand and his forehead felt as though someone was pressing a hot iron against it. Thankfully today was Friday, and he'd have the weekend to recover.

Soda and Pony were both worried about him, and while he could see why, it drove him crazy. He told them he'd be fine at least a million times, but they kept insisting he see a doctor. As far as he was concerned, that was out of the question. Not only would it cost him a fortune, but a doctor wasn't going to tell him anything he didn't already know. He simply had the flu, needed to rest, and would be completely fine by next Monday.

"Darry," Soda said, barging into his room. "You look as white as a ghost. Don'tcha think you should go to the—?"

"No," Darry barked back.

"Just sayin' you shoul—"

"Just go to work, little buddy." Darry stared at him desperately, hoping he'd take the hint and leave.

"Okay, fine," Soda said. "But I ain't seen you sick like this since … since I don't remember."

Darry groaned and shoved the pillow over his head. Soda sighed and finally left the room.

Darry felt bad being such a grouch about it. After all, they were just worried, but there was nothing to be worried about. They just weren't used to seeing him sick was all. After they were gone, Darry drifted back to sleep, but the rest didn't last very long, as his throbbing head and muscle aches woke him up around ten o'clock. He swallowed some aspirin and migrated to the couch, hoping there was something decent on TV to distract him from the pain.

George hopped up on the couch beside him. Darry scowled but decided to let him stay, seeing as he wasn't barking himself hoarse yet. After a few moments of watching reruns of Batman, he heard someone barge through the door.

"Shit," Darry cursed, knowing it'd end George's rare quiet streak.

He was right. George sprang off the couch and bolted to the door, yapping every step of the way.

"Woah there, buddy," Two-Bit said. He stooped down to pet George, and the dog calmed down instantly. "See? I'm a friend, not an enemy."

"How 'bout knocking next time?"

"How 'bout tellin' me when ya get a goddamned dog?"

"All Soda's doing," he said.

"Figures." Two-Bit took a seat in the armchair and George followed him.

"So, what're you doin' here, anyways?" Darry asked. "Come by here all the time when I'm at work?"

Darry liked Two-bit as much as everyone else did, but his intruding habits drove him crazy. Two-Bit was never the type to knock or ask if he could come over. No, he simply invited himself in whenever it was convenient to him.

"Nah." He laughed it off. "Soda said you was sick, so I figured I'd come keep ya company."

"Don'tcha got school?"

"Didn't I tell ya?" Two-Bit continued. "Ma made me drop out and get a job. Said she was gonna kick me out if I didn't."

Darry raised an eyebrow. He knew he liked Two-Bit's mom for a reason.

"Golly, y'sure look white!" Two-bit boomed.

Darry grunted and nodded. He felt like asking Two-Bit to tell him something he didn't know, but he held his tongue. He knew he was just in a bad mood from the sickness and would rather not snap at his friend just because his body ached. Besides, he was beginning to see the benefit of him being there. George had certainly taken to Two-Bit fast, and he if could keep the furball quiet, Darry figured he could stay as long as he liked.

"So what's his name," Two-Bit asked, pointing to the dog.

"George."

Two-Bit laughed and shook his head. "That's funny, man," he said. "Now, really, what's his name?"

"George," Darry repeated. "That's what Soda calls him at least. Who knows what his real name is."

"He looks like a McGillicutty to me."

Darry looked at Two-Bit like he'd lost his mind. McGillicutty? That name was more ridiculous than George.

"Make that his middle name," Two-Bit continued with a smirk. "So whenever he shits on your carpet, you can be like, _George McGillicutty, what the hell did you just do?_"

George barked, and Two-Bit roared. "See? He likes the name already."

Darry just shook his head. Two-Bit was crazier than he thought.

XXX

Darry had to admit that having Two-Bit around for the day wasn't so bad. He certainly kept George out of his hair and managed to crack him up a few times. Especially when he attempted to clean the living room to help out. One would've thought Two-Bit had never seen cleaning supplies in his life the way he kept fumbling with that vacuum. Two-Bit's mom was a saint for letting him mooch off her for so long.

"Feeling any better?" Pony asked, walking in the door after track practice.

"A little." It wasn't even a lie this time; his headache honestly had improved, and his appetite was starting to return.

Pony nodded and smiled. "So, my teacher sent another note home, but—"

"Again?" Darry cut in, raising his voice.

"Relax," Pony told him. "It's a good one this time."

He handed Darry the note, and Darry began to read it. His brother hadn't lied; it was a good note this time.

"She liked my short story so much, she wants to submit it for this competition," Pony continued. "Pretty cool, huh? I could even win money for it."

"That's awesome." Darry stared at the note and then his brother. He was shocked, but truly meant what he'd said. If he didn't have too much pride, he'd apologize for getting on his case about the engineering scholarship. This opportunity seemed just as good, if not better.

"Told ya I'd figure things out." Pony had a smug look on his face, and Darry gave him a dirty look. Of course, he had to throw the "I told you so" out there.

"Well, good luck," Darry said finally. "It'd be great if you did win."

"Thanks."

Soon, Soda found his home, too. George perked up to see him, nearly knocking him over when he saw him.

"Feelin' better, Darry?" Soda asked, and Darry nodded. He expected that to be the first thing he said to him.

"Good. Maybe you can eat normal food when I make supper tonight."

"Don't hold your breath," Darry said. "If by normal, y'mean dyin' things green, forget it."

"Aw, c'mon." Soda chuckled. "I don't do that all the time!"

"Then why were my eggs blue last weekend?" Pony asked.

"He's got a point," Darry added.

Soda stuck his tongue out at Darry and continued to pet George. Darry sighed. Even though he still hated that dog, he had to admit, it was nice to see Soda happy.

XXX

Darry fell asleep right after supper and woke up around midnight. He hated his internal body clock sometimes. Just as he was started to feel better, his body decided revert back to only allowing him to sleep six hours at a time. He got up reluctantly and planted himself in the living room armchair. He flipped on a lamp and began to work on a crossword from the newspaper.

As he did, he thought about how everything worked out in the end with Pony and hoped that'd be the case with the bills this month. He highly doubted it, as he'd be missing that second paycheck from Soda, plus the hours from the two days he was sick.

"Five letter word for place," he mumbled to himself. "First letter A…" He grumbled, irritated he couldn't think of it right away. Usually, the paper's crosswords were too easy for him.

He jumped a bit when he heard a car pull into the driveway, but dismissed it as nothing. It was probably just Steve and Soda showing up after a night of fun. It was Friday, after all, so that was probably all it was.

He went back to the crossword and ignored the door when it opened. When he heard silence instead of Soda and Steve's laughter, he looked up to see what the deal was.

Pony stared back at him wide-eyed and twitched nervously. "Darry, I can explain…"

..


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

AN: Thank you ALL for the reviews. I appreciate it so, so much. Also, I had some age confusion going on… Soda was apparently 17 and Pony 16, and that just doesn't work out, lol. So I edited like two lines in a previous chapter to reflect that Soda's older. If I'm missing the right age for one of them in another place, please point it out to me!

* * *

Darry shot up immediately and approached his brother. "Where the hell were you?"

Pony shifted nervously and stared at the floor. "If I told you, you wouldn't believe me."

"What the hell's that supposed to mean? Just answer the damn question…"

"The cemetery…"

Darry glared at him incredulously. "What?"

"I was at the cemetery, Darry."

"Bullshit."

Pony looked up from his feet and sighed. "I'm sorry, I really am, but if you just give me a second to talk—"

"I don't even know what the hell to say to you," Darry cut him off. He was trying as hard as he possibly could not to yell and failing. "You know what? Don't even bother explaining. I don't wanna hear it."

"Please. Just listen…"

Darry kicked the side of the coffee table and threw the crossword and pencil against the wall. Right now, he couldn't even begin to make sense of how angry he was. There was no excuse for what had just happened, and he was nearly positive Pony was lying.

And even if he wasn't, it wouldn't change anything. Regardless of where he went, there was no reason he should be going anywhere at three in the morning, especially without telling somebody first.

"What the hell…" Soda burst into the living room and glared at both his brothers. "It's three o'clock in the morning and you're doing this again?"

"Soda…" Darry began.

"Don't even start, Darry, I'm sick of it."

"I know, little buddy, I know," he said, toning his voice down a notch. "But we're fine. Just go back to bed."

"Yeah, you're fine alright. What with all the screaming and yelling. Do you think I'm stupid?" Soda paused for a moment out of frustration. "It better be something good this time, or I'll skin you both, and I mean that. I really fucking do."

"Well, I'd tell you," Pony spoke up, "But Darry won't even let me explain."

"You shut up," Darry snapped at him and turned back to Soda. "Just go back to bed, Soda. Please."

"Is that true, Dar?" Soda asked.

"Is what true?"

"That you won't let him explain?"

"There's nothing _to_ explain…"

"How're you s'pposed to know that without givin' 'im a fair chance first? Jesus, Darry… I could just… I could just punch you sometimes."

"Soda…"

"Let him talk." He glanced at Pony and raised an eyebrow. "Go ahead…"

"I…" Pony struggled. It was obvious he was holding back tears. "I don't wanna talk about it… I can't." He shoved his hands in his pockets and stalked off to his room.

"Pony, get back here," Soda called after him. "This ain't gonna work if you don't cooperate, too!"

"Great," Darry said.

"It's your own damn fault."

"How?" Darry threw his hands up in the air and plopped himself into the armchair. "He walks in here at three in the goddamned morning when he was _grounded_, tells me he was at the cemetery, and I'm supposed to just have a calm friendly little chitchat with him?

"Yeah, actually," Soda said. "At least hear his side of it before you start hollerin' at 'im. After that, scream yourself hoarse for all I care."

"Look, I get it, I do..."

"I'm sorry, Darry, but you don't. You really, really don't." Soda shook his head and moved to leave. "I'mma go talk to him."

Darry nodded and watched him go. Soda was wrong. He did get it, he just couldn't reign his temper in long enough to apply it, and could Soda really blame him? It sucked to him. It sucked to be the bad guy in the first place, but here he was a twenty-two year old parent of a sixteen year old; he couldn't be expected to get the lecture thing perfect every goddamned time.

Sometimes he wished that just once his brothers would let him get away with a "Because I said so" line, but he couldn't. He had to explain himself twice as much when he disciplined them, because once upon a time, he was their equal, and paper authority only sounded good in writing.

XXX

Breakfast was silent the next morning. The only sounds came from George slurping up the table scraps Soda kept sneaking him.

There was ridiculous amount of tension in the air, and Darry fathomed he might go insane if someone didn't speak soon. Only problem was he didn't want to be the first to open his mouth. It was a pride thing, or something dumb like that.

Soda set his plate in the sink. He glanced at Darry and bobbed his head to Pony, which told Darry that Soda was apparently counting on him to break the silence. When he didn't deliver, Soda gave him a disappointed scowl and left with George.

Damn Sodapop. He swallowed and cleared his throat. This was going to be awkward and painful on so many levels. "Look, about last night…" He contemplated tagging "I'm sorry" unto it, but couldn't quite bring himself to speak the words.

"I guess I should apologize," Pony mumbled. "I half-lied. I did go to the cemetery, but I was somewhere else before that…"

"By the way," Darry broke in. "Before we go any further in this conversation, you're grounded another week."

Pony nodded, and much to Darry's pleasant surprise, accepted it gracefully. "Honest, I thought you'd say another two."

Darry smirked. "Last night, it would've been twenty."

"Lucky me, I guess. " Pony smiled weakly as he picked at his cheerios.

"So I could ask you where else you went," Darry said. "But I really just wanna know why you were at the cemetery… I mean, at that hour? I thought you were suspicious or something…"

Pony shrugged. "I dunno. I was on a date with a girl Johnny used to like, and I just had the urge to see his grave again." He looked at his feet, somehow embarrassed by it.

"Hey, nothing wrong with that," Darry tried to assure him. "I guess that answers both questions."

"Yeah…" Pony agreed. He looked up and smiled a bit. "I mean, I knew you grounded me, but I just couldn't flake on her, man."

"So let me get this straight, you rebelled in the name of a girl? I thought that'd be more Soda's style than yours."

Pony smirked. "Well, maybe you don't know me as well as you think you do."

Darry nodded and sighed. He probably didn't, and it scared the shit out of him. "What's her name anyways?" he asked.

"Laurie Jansen."

"As in the one in Soda's class?" Darry raised an eyebrow. "Well, used to be Soda's class…" he corrected himself.

Pony nodded and blushed a little. "That one," he confirmed.

"Didn't she graduate already?"

"Yep, she's in college now…"

Darry rubbed his temples. "You're going out with a girl in college?"

Pony shrugged. "See why I couldn't flake on her now?"

XXX

"Darry, you okay?" Soda asked for about the fifteen time.

"I'm fine," Darry growled back at him from the couch. "I already told you I'm feeling better. I'm just tired right now."

"You look like shit," Soda insisted. "I swear you should see a doctor…"

"Are you crazy? We don't have health insurance…"

"But you look like death."

"Thanks."

George hopped on Darry's stomach and sniffed his face.

"Look, George is even worried about you too."

"George should mind his own damn business."

George curled himself in a ball and made himself comfortable atop Darry.

"Told you he likes you," Soda insisted. "And animals can tell when people are sick. They've got special powers or something…"

Darry sat up, shoving George off him. "You sound crazy right now," he said bitterly.

"It's true! Mickey could sense anything, and right now, George is telling you you're sick…"

Darry couldn't believe he was hearing this.

"I think you should lay back down, Darry…"

Darry ignored him and got up quickly. He took a few steps and immediately felt dizzy, but just to spite Soda kept going. "See? I'm fine," he insisted. "In fact, I'm feeling so great I'm going to make us all dinner…"

"You're gonna kill yourself, Darry."

"Fine, I'll take out George with me."

Darry made it to the kitchen, but once there, his knees started to buckle and his vision blurred. Damn it, he told himself he wasn't going to pass out. Soda wasn't going to be right about this; he was just tired and needed something to eat.

But before he could move another step, he was on the floor.


End file.
